HELENA — A handful of candidates stood in line Thursday waiting for the doors to open at the Secretary of State’s office for the first day of election filing, a far cry from previous years when the queue would stretch down the hall.

Some blamed the weather and threat of snow, others noted the electronic age in which candidates can now file online.

But for some there was still a lot to be said for showing up.

“I like doing it the old-fashioned way,” said Democrat Lynda Moss who is running for the U.S. House seat now occupied by Republican Greg Gianforte.

Secretary of State Corey Stapleton emerged from his office and greeted the would-be candidates.

“Welcome to the house that democracy built,” he said.

A small stream of candidates trickled into the state Capitol. Democratic candidates John Heenan and Grant Kier, both running for the U.S. House, were among them.

By the end of the day 145 people had filed overall for legislative and nonlegislative seats, setting a record for the first day of a non-presidential election year, officials said.

Of those, 72 were Democrat, 50 were Republican, 20 nonpartisan, one was Libertarian, one was Independent and one was "other," officials said. There were 64 percent who registered online and 36 percent in person.

Dana Corson, elections director for the secretary of state’s office, said in 2016 there were 225 people who filed online for legislative seats and 95 filed in Helena. For non-legislative seats, 35 filed in Helena and 23 filed online.

Corson said there were no plans to go all electronic as some people still enjoyed the pageantry of coming to Helena.

“I think it’s about the candidates, to tell you the truth,” he said. “The new people coming on deserve the revelry as well.”

Corson said it was important for candidates to also file with the Commissioner of Political Practices, who was having workshops Thursday to walk them through the process.

“There are some pretty confusing regulations to follow,” he said.

All 100 seats in the state House of Representatives, which have two-year terms, are up for grabs as are 25 of the 50 state Senate seats, which have four-year terms.

Also on the ballot is the U.S. Senate seat, which has a six-year term, now held by Democrat Jon Tester, and the two-year term on the U.S. House of Representatives seat now held by Gianforte.

There are two seats open for four-year terms on the Public Service Commission; District 1 now held by Travis Kavulla, who is termed out of office, and District 5 now held by Brad Johnson, who is ending his first term.

Two state Supreme Court seats are on the ballot as is the six-year term for the Supreme Court clerk.

The election is being held for District 4, an eight-year term. The seat is now held by Beth Baker. The other seat is District 2, which expires in 2022. Judge Mike Wheat retired from the bench and Judge Ingrid Gustafson was appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock to fill the seat. Candidates will run for the remainder of his term.

Candidates may file electronically via the Secretary of State’s online candidate filing service at https://app.mt.gov/filing, in person at the Secretary of State’s office, by mail, or by facsimile.

Democrats held a rally at noon in the Capitol rotunda in which about 20 candidates attended. Each Democrat introduced themselves and explained why they are running. None in attendance was running for Great Falls-area seats.

Rep. Jenny Eck, D-Helena, the House minority leader, said Democrats reached across the aisle in the 2017 session and worked on issues, such as public land, that benefited Montanans.

She said the Republicans “drove the state budget off the rails” which forced a special session to fill a $227 million budget shortfall.

Sen. Jen Gross, D-Billings, said Democrats have already recruited a diverse slate of 80 candidates for more than 60 House districts and 15 Senate districts. Of these candidates, 40 are women, 13 are Native American and 14 are under the age of 35.

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Rep. Jenny Eck, D-Helena, talks Thursday about the upcoming elections and why people should vote for Democrats.(Photo: Tribune photo/Phil Drake)

Eck said the since the election of GOP President Donald Trump the Democrats are seeing a surge in grassroots activism and in Democrats wanting to run for office.

“We are excited,” she said.

Rep. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, said at a Republican news conference a couple hours later that without GOP control in the state Legislature that Montanans would be paying “millions more in taxes.”

He said the GOP had left the previous session with a $300 million rainy day fund and that Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock had let the budget on “auto pilot.”

Hertz, who is speaker pro tempore, said recent revenue projections showed a “light at the end of the tunnel.”

Senate Majority Leader Fred Thomas, R-Stevensville, said Republicans have brought talent to Helena to lead the state.

He said while Montanans may not like all the “antics” coming out of Washington, D.C., they do like the “products being produced” such as tax reform.

He said people liked having more money to “pay for what they want to do.”

Thomas said he expected Republicans to hold on to majorities in the state House and Senate.

Among the Great Falls-area lawmakers attending the GOP news conference were Reps. Jeremy Trebas and Fred Anderson and Sen. Brian Hoven.

Candidates may file electronically via the Secretary of State’s online candidate filing service at https://app.mt.gov/filing, in person at the Secretary of State’s office, by mail, or by facsimile.

More information about candidate filing, including open offices, filing fees and forms is available on the Secretary of State’s website at sos.mt.gov/Elections and http://sos.mt.gov/elections/filing.

As of 3 p.m. Thursday, the following had filed for Great Falls seats: Democrat Tom Jacobson filed to run for the Senate District 11 seat. Democrat Carlie Boland filed for SD 12 and Republican Brian Hoven filed for SD 13.

"John Abarr is a failed former-Republican House candidate with a revolting history of promoting white supremacy. His views have no place in Montana, and we condemn him and his campaign without exception," he said.

Abarr said he would not be surprised if the Democrats disavowed him, adding Republicans had done the same.

For District Court District 8 in Great Falls, Elizabeth Best filed to run for Department 2, John Kutzman filed for Department 3 and John Parker filed for Department 4.

All three are incumbents.

In other races, Republicans Troy Downing and Albert Olszewski filed to run for the U.S. Senate seat.

Democrats John Heenan, Grant Kier, Lynda Moss and Kathleen Williams filed for the U.S. House of Representatives seat.

Rex Renk, a Democrat, filed to run for state Supreme Court clerk, replacing Ed Smith, who is retiring after 30 years.

Democrat Tyrel Suzor-Hoy filed to run for the Public Service Commission seat District 5.